I’m not an opera fan, but La Scala’s opera night two weeks ago was festive and fun – and the food I ate over the course of the evening was delicious.
Carlo Pietroniro, a chef and opera-lover who co-owns the critically-acclaimed fine restaurant, emigrated from Italy eight years ago. It only made sense for him to eventually combine his two interests. La Scala, located on 14th Street, is running “opera nights” on Nov. 5 and Dec. 3, and may do something similar with Christmas songs around the holidays.
Three weeks ago, a friend and I dug into stuffed clams while listening to piano music, and ate tender, delicious filet mignon covered in gorgonzola cheese while a woman traversed the room singing opera.
The meal began around 6 p.m.; the music started around 7:30 p.m.; the night didn’t end until 9 p.m. – and we enjoyed every minute. The service was flawless; the food kept coming, with suitable breaks in between, and the audience participation was enjoyable.
Soprano Sherry Zannoth, “lyric coloratura” Anne Tormella and pianist Matt Cvetic, all of whom are based in and have performed in Manhattan, kept the atmosphere festive. Aside from performing music from Aida, Carmen and Madame Butterfly, they took audience requests, let audience members sing – and much to my delight, even performed a medley from the musical “Oklahoma,” with which the audience sang along. The exquisitely-decorated room at the restaurant was small enough that the event seemed like a family celebration. Zannoth and Tormella sometimes displayed great emotion in their singing, and at other times flitted across the room giving the men in the audience seductive embraces.
Throughout the night, co-owner Francesco Mezzaferro and the rest of the staff were quite attentive, always walking back and forth across the floor with another dish.
Appetizers
The menu at La Scala is extensive. Appetizers ranged in price from $6.95 to $9.95 and included asparagus with provolone cheese in a lemongrette sauce; shrimp wrapped with pancetta herbs; and several prosciutto dishes. We enjoyed the mozzarella on top of fresh tomato sauce with basil; prosciutto with parmesan cheese; and a special of clams gratinate, which are clams bursting with stuffing and Italian bacon.
The restaurant requires diners to bring their own liquor, but there is a vast array of other drinks to try instead. We enjoyed Francesco Mezzaferro’s favorite aperitif, the fruity “Aperitivo della Scala,” which is Campari and peach juice ($3.25). There are a number of other fruit beverages as well as Italian sodas ($1.95).
Pasta and meat
Then, it was on to main courses. Mezzaferro provided us with a sampler of three pasta dishes.
Mezzaferro said that one of them, fusilli noci e salmone ($15.95), has been getting raves from patrons who don’t know how to describe the taste. It’s pasta with bits of smoked salmon, pistachio, hazelnuts and onions, saut